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Monthly Archives: June 2012

We’re back with another Revlon-inspired video and a very exciting giveaway, too.

July part deux with Revlon features makeup to complement a bouncy blowout. I’ll be honest, my blowout is not nearly as bouncy as it would be after a visit to my new favorite salon in Chicago (Blowtique, obviously) but a few velcro waves gives a quick lift to the roots.

I like the shimmery pink side of the Smoky Shadow Stick, and find it works great on days where all I want is a little highlight on the inner corners and browbones. When the temps are 100+ degrees (torture for human and animals alike), I don’t like to wear much eye makeup. Just a little lashes, shimmer and done.

We’re fully aware there are few things in this world tackier than celebrity perfumes. But with one whiff of these ones, we were in love. Sure they don’t have the prestige of a Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana, but we can’t help but love the way these scents make us smell. See our favorite celeb perfume we’re embarrassed to love, but do.

U by Kotex wants you to switch things up with your monthly lady things with their new U by Kotek Sleek Tampons and U by Kotex CleanWear pads. The sleek tampon offers a perfect touch grip which allows for “just right” placement and the CleanWear pads have a MemoryFlex core material that improves product fit and flexibility. Both can be found at Walmart, where you can find the lowest prices.

Right now you can create your own vision board to show your individuality with images that inspire you. Once you’ve made your board, you can save it or share with friends on Pinterest and sign up to get a free sample with a cute little clutch to disguise your lady things (while supplies last).

So what inspires you? Create an inspiration board that expresses your true style and confidence. Have fun!

This promotion is solely sponsored by Lunchbox and has not been endorsed or approved by Kotex or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

The Beachwaver. It’s as intriguing as it sounds. I so appreciate the verbing of the most on-trend and flattering hair style right now. We have the brilliant celebrity hair stylist Sarah Potempa to thank for making The Beachwaver a reality. In fact, she (and her sister/partner-in-crime Erin) worked on perfecting The Beachwaver for two years. She created the look on her clients and saw a need to create a tool that would make it easy for people to achieve this style on their own.

We’re going to go as far and say this styling tool is life changing. The challenges of a curling wand (while I do love them) are apparent —the time it takes, the angle it takes to get the curls just right and especially the burns I seem to amass on a weekly basis on my hands and arms. Seriously – what is my issue?

There’s another flash sale site to add to your radar, and this one is JUST for beauty junkies! This new destination is gloss48 and beginning Wednesday, June 27, at 11am ET/8am PT they will be featuring a sweet sale on one of our favorite eco-fab brands: Tay Skincare.

I have special feelings towards Tay! I’ve never come across more unique packaging (etched bamboo) and the Cucumber Day Moisturizer is divine. For 48 hours, you can snag the Cucumber moisturizer and some of Tay’s best-selling products for 30% off. And, as an added bonus, gloss48 is offering Product Girl readers an additional $10 off of Tay products. To take advantage of this, visit gloss48 and enter promo code PGTAY10 at checkout.

You MUST let us know if you take advantage of this.

And, make a note in your calendar for next week. There will be a huge Dr. Hauschka sale — up to 50% off!

Can you think of a better incentive to wash your face at night than these bright and cheery Clarisonics? This summer, Clarisonic released three new colors of the Mia 2 in peony, mango and coral. Now, we are pretty religious (OCD is more like it) about our cleansing ritual, but even I admit that a bright color can totally jazz up the routine.

The Clarisonic Mia 2 is the newest member of the Clarisonic family. I love it because it has two different timer settings, which was previously available on just the Clarisonic Plus. It might seem straightforward, but we appreciate the structure it lends to getting grit off the face. Lest you forget about the power of this tool (seriously — best investment EVER), it oscillates at over 300 movements per second to cleanse skin six times better than what your hands can do.

Now we don’t know what Clarisonic has in store for the Nordstrom Anniversary sale this year, we’re crossing our fingers for a bright and shiny (but mainly bright) Mia 2 promotion! Once we have intel, you’ll be the first to know. In the meantime, the Peony, Mango and Coral Mia 2s can be found at Clarisonic.com.

This week I’m wearing LCN’s Some Like It Hot from their seasonal collection called “Colour Me Up“. The collection is a lot of fun and its four shades are perfect for this summer, I definitely plan on putting each one to good use this season!

I went with Some Like It Hot this week because I’ve been craving a red for awhile. I was very tempted by another shade in this collection but ultimately I wanted something lighter. This shade is a pretty poppy red that leans a little to the coral side in the light. The formula flowed nicely on the nail, didn’t apply too thick and didn’t drag. Two coats gave me opaque coverage.

If there’s one lip product I have been reaching for more than any other lately, it is Bite Beauty’s Lush Lip Tints. They are a luscious combination of argan oil, vitamin E and fruit butters that help nourish your lips all while giving them a creamy, long wearing pop of color. In the spirit of keeping it easy, breezy, these Lip Tints will be permanent fixtures in my makeup bag and will a Beauty VIP of the week, every week this summer.

Applying sunscreen on my face and my body are two very different rituals. I religiously wear SPF on my face and neck every day — even remembering to apply on those bare-faced mornings before I take my dog on a walk. It’s embedded into my routine, therefore, I do it. I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who doesn’t have this same routine for body SPF when not at the beach or poolside? I’m changing my ways on this one, and I have Kiehl’s Activated Sun Protector Sunscreen to thank.

It’s a powerful protectant but the formula is like lotion and nearly odorless. Two very important qualities if I’m slathering on sunscreen on say a Wednesday a.m. before heading into work. There’s more than sun protection happening here (though it is badass with UVA/B SPF 50), which is why it is proving to be easy to fit into my routine.

Kiehl’s boosted the formula with three antioxidants to help fight free radicals: Goji Berry, Vitamin E and Einkorn Wheat. Wondering what Einkorn Wheat is? I was too….apparently it is one of the earliest cultivated forms of wheat (talking 7500 BC times). Together, these join Kiehl’s patented photostable technology to produce an incredibly lightweight formula. It spreads so well, doesn’t leave a white cast and the broad spectrum will protect you in water for up to 80 minutes (though we recommend erring on the side of caution there and reapplying regularly, especially if you are of the perspiring type like we!)

With the heat wave we’ve been having this week in the Midwest, I am so thankful that I discovered this product. Just walking to work I feel the sun trying to age me.

Topping off one of the things I love about summer is the beach. Sure, we may not have an ocean in Chicago, but we have Lake Michigan and beaches with the city’s skyline as a backdrop. Take that, coasties! However, the actual beach does not smell nearly as good as Bobbi Brown’s Beach Fragrance. Truly summer in a bottle. It’s not so literal in its interpretation of “beach,” instead is a light blend of jasmine, sea spray and mandarin. If there was a smell to define the carefree attitude of summer, that’s Bobbi Beach. Basically, we strive to live the life this scent makes us feel we should be living.

As part of Bobbi’s Miami Collection, she released a Beach Shimmering Fragrance Oil. I know, RIGHT? Just looking at the pretty pink bottle with its sparkles makes me excited! I resist the urge to douse my entire body in this and instead pump a few dabs on my inner arm and then rub my arms together to spread it around. It’s an extra boost of moisture on my arms and I love the subtle sparkles. The intoxicating scent of Beach lasts for about six hours and brings me immense happiness when I’m doing all of the things an adult has to do in the summer (like work!)